Current trial underway with the Olea Project:
- Establish relative cold hardiness of olive cultivars through field evaluation
TRIAL 3: COLD HARDINESS EVALUATION
To determine the relative cold hardiness of olive cultivars, a new evaluation trial of over 100 cultivars was planted at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, Oregon, USA in mid-July 2021. The cultivars were obtained as cuttings from a collection at the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Davis, California. The planting is expected to provide data not only on the relative cold hardiness of a wide range of cultivars but also on other characteristics such as flowering, fruit set, harvest time, and fruit quality attributes.
TRIAL 2: TRANSPLANTING AND UP-POTTING RESEARCH
The up-potting trial will compare the success rates of establishing orchards with plants of different sizes and ages, to explore observations made by growers that more mature trees fare better when first planted. This trial will also investigate orchard establishment with varying rates of irrigation, and the use of flat or sloped land.
TRIAL 1: OLIVE PROPAGATION STUDY
This study aims to compare propagation techniques in the hopes of assisting farmers in generating their own planting stock from cuttings taken on-farm. We will explore three different topics: propagation substrates or growing media, the use of rooting hormone, and the timing of collection and propagation of cuttings taken from local orchards.